The Commander General of the Kano State Hisbah Board, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, announced that the board will charge personnel member Idris Ahmed Gama to court over a video in which he appeared to support LGBTQ rights.
The video, which has been circulating on social media, shows Gama at an event organized by an NGO promoting LGBTQ issues. Speaking to reporters, Sheikh Daurawa explained that Gama, who is attached to the board’s clinic, will be transferred to the disciplinary section for interrogation before being charged in court.
Sheikh Daurawa said, “As you have heard from him (Idris), he was invited to the event in his personal capacity but introduced himself as a Hisbah official. This is our greatest concern as it is a grievous offense and against the laid down rules and regulations of Hisbah. Therefore, we will transfer him to a disciplinary section of the board for interrogation and subsequently charge him to court.
“We call on our personnel across the 44 LGAs to avoid or desist from any interaction with NGOs promoting activities of LGBT. Whoever is found wanting will be sanctioned according to the rules and regulations guiding the operations of Hisbah,” he added.
Sheikh Daurawa also announced a ban on all activities of NGOs promoting LGBTQ activities in the state, reiterating the board’s stance against practices that contravene Shari’a laws. He noted that many NGOs promoting LGBTQ rights operate under the guise of empowerment and support, luring people into these activities.
“They (NGOs) are targeting to take over 12 states that are Shariah compliant, including Kano. They are splashing money on women and youth, taking advantage of the situation of poverty in the land,” Sheikh Daurawa stated.
In an interview with reporters, Idris Ahmed Gama explained that he was invited via a WhatsApp message to attend a workshop on a Women’s Empowerment program, where a paper on human rights was also presented. He claimed that he mentioned the LGBTQ acronym during an interview without understanding its full meaning and emphasized that he did not belong to any group advocating LGBTQ rights.
“The event took place two to three years ago when I was invited to a two-day workshop. After the event, I was interviewed on how the police arrested LGBTQ members, and I said it was a violation of human rights without knowing the full meaning of LGBTQ,” Gama explained, appealing for leniency and promising not to associate with the group anymore.